Traditionally, photographs are displayed in picture frames that are either mounted to a wall or displayed on a desk. A large number of photographs are displayed in this manner. One drawback to picture frames is that you can only display one picture at a time (or a few pictures that are separated by matting within a large frame) and it is difficult to quickly or easily change the picture in the frame. Also, negatives corresponding to the displayed photograph cannot be stored with the photographs.
An alternative approach is the photograph album, which can hold a large number of photographs. The pictures are mounted on sheets and held in place by tabs or a glassine sheet overlay. To view the photographs, a person turns the pages. However, albums may be difficult to display on a desk and the album normally cannot be mounted to the wall. Also, it is inconvenient to store negatives with their displayed photographs.
Another alternative approach is to store the photographs with the negatives in a storage box. This may make it easier to store and organize the photographs, but it does not facilitate their display.
Still another alternative approach is a photographic box that allows the user to cycle through the pictures stored in the box. The user utilizes a mechanical sorting mechanism to move one picture from a front position to a position at the end of the stored pictures. Drawbacks to this system result from the mechanical sorting mechanism wearing out as the springs in the mechanism weaken. Also, these devices do not have the ability to store the negatives with the photographs in the box. Further, the device tends to be bulky and costly, and thus it may be expensive to have a plurality of devices for multiple sets of photographs.